Yahoo! News [Unexpectedly unknown technology terminology] Is "USB Type-C" an ideal connector?We have taken in user requests, but there is also new confusion

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— Gjhgj Tue Oct 23 09:08:33 +0000 2012

The words used in the world of technology change every day. In fact, there are many words that I've come to hear a lot these days, and words that have already penetrated but aren't surprisingly understood. [Image] Illustration of USB connectors with too many types This series is an explanation article of these terms. The 4th is about "USB Type-C". It is a new connector standard that is becoming more widespread, especially in smartphones and notebook PCs. -Connector revolution by "Type-C" With USB 3.0, which was formulated in 2008, the transfer speed has improved dramatically, but the types of connector have become complicated. In addition to the original "Type A" (PC side) and "Type B" (peripheral device side), the USB connector has "Mini-A" and "Mini-B" made for small devices, and the Mini standard. "Micro-A" and "Micro-B" that appeared instead due to the defect of durability, "USB 3.0 Type A" "USB 3.0 Type B" "USB 3.0 Micro-B" that uses 9 pins for USB 3.0 A total of 9 types of connectors will be mixed. It can only be said that the USB that was originally made with the intention of unifying the cables falls into such a situation, and the "USB 3.0 Micro-B" etc. are almost twice the size of the old connector, and at all " It's no longer "Micro". In addition, there were complaints that it was difficult to see the top and bottom of the connector with USB, and it was difficult to connect it to an invisible place such as the back of the device. Therefore, the "USB Type-C" connector was introduced in 2014 in a form that meets the criteria of "connectable without distinction between top and bottom" and "unified use of various standards". With a 24-pin connector, it is a relatively small connector that can be used without being aware of the existence of the top and bottom like Apple's "Lightning". USB Type-C can send Thunderbolt 3 and Displayport signals by using "Alternate mode" as well as USB. Also, in 2016, on the premise of using USB Type-C, a standard called "USB Power Delivery (PD)" with enhanced power supply appeared, and it became possible to supply up to 100 W of power (then 2021). USB PD 3.1, which appeared in the year, has been expanded to a maximum of 240W). If you use USB PD and Alternate mode together, for example, the computer itself can be charged with the USB Type-C port, and the monitor connected from there with the USB Type-C port can also be powered (within a range of up to 100W) while also outputting video signals. Connections such as sending are possible. In other words, the DisplayPort cable and power cable are integrated into the USB Type-C cable. A truly "universal" standard that connects anything with a single cable has finally arrived. -The confusion caused by USB Type-C USB Type-C looks like an ideal standard, but it is also causing new confusion. That's because "not all cables with USB Type-C connectors support all standards that use USB Type-C." For example, most USB Type-C cables sold at 100-yen shops only support USB 2.0 as a communication standard in the first place. If you think that "Type-C cable = USB 3.0 or higher is supported" and connect it, it will be slow. Also, since a dedicated cable is required for USB PD, I tried connecting a USB PD compatible power adapter and a device, but the cable is not compatible and charging is not possible, or charging is slow. In the case of USB PD, the maximum power that can be supported depends on the cable. In addition, not all cables support Thunderbolt and DisplayPort's Alternate mode (thunderbolt is especially rare). And the length of the cable that can be used differs depending on the standard (the faster the standard, the shorter the usable distance). Last but not least, it's almost impossible for even a professional to tell which standard a single cable supports. USB Type-C has created an overly complicated situation, but in 2019, "USB 4" was formulated, which aggregates the confusion and Alternate mode in USB 3.x and also incorporates Thunderbolt 3. In USB4, the port is unified to USB Type-C, and video output (= DisplayPort Alternate mode) is always supported, so if it is a USB4 compatible cable, video output is possible for the time being, and it is compatible with Thunderbolt 3. , 20Gbps communication speed is possible, and power supply at 60W is guaranteed. However, high-speed communication of 40 Gbps, power supply at 100 W, 4K resolution x2 monitor output and 8K output are not guaranteed. In fact, Thunderbolt has also been updated, and in 2020, "Thunderbolt 4" that includes USB 4 appeared. The Thunderbolt 4 compatible cable meets all the specifications of USB4 and also meets the specifications of Thunderbolt, so it can communicate up to 40 Gbps, supply power at 100 W, and output video to two 4K monitors or one 8K monitor. Guaranteed. Therefore, a Thunderbolt 4 compatible cable is a "perfect all-in-one USB 4 cable". It would be trouble-free if all cables could be unified into Thunderbolt 4 cables, but at present, Thunderbolt 4 cables are quite expensive and not very easy to handle, so it is a bit unrealistic. However, if you have one, you can use it to identify troubles, so it's a good idea to reserve one in case of an emergency.

Akira Ebihara